There seems to be a sudden rise these days in fraudulent tech support phone scams. You hear more often these days people are getting calls from wood-be Microsoft support employees claiming they are getting reports sent from your computer that it is in need of repair.
Usually if you comply and allow these hackers to gain access to your computer inevitably, you computer gets taken over, your bank account can get compromised and even your identity stolen. To start with, everyone must realize that Cybercriminals don’t just send fraudulent email messages and set up fake websites. They might also call you on the telephone and claim to be from a reputable company like Microsoft. They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license. And so it all comes down to them saying they can help if you follow their directions. Those directions usually have you going onto your computer and installing some type of program that usually gives them remote access to your system. From there they can:
- Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
- Request credit card information so they can bill you for phony services.
- Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter credit card and other personal or financial information there.
With this in mind, everyone must remember that neither Microsoft nor any of their partners will make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes. With that in mind, Apple will call you back, but only if you first go to their site, login, and request a phone callback support ticket. They will also not call you out-of-the blue and say “your computer needs a security fix”.
So, how can people avoid these phone scams?
Unfortunately, cybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories, so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating system and computer you’re using.
And usually, once they’ve gained your trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a legitimate website (such as www.ammyy.com) to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it. Once you do this, your computer and your personal information are completely vulnerable.
So it is imperative that you do be very wary of unsolicited calls for tech support . And most importantly, do not provide any personal information like your usernames and passwords.
So, how can people then protect themselves from these scams?
If someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support calls you:
Be very wary if they are trying to sell you any software or services because they say your computer is sending them error or problem reports.
Ask if there is a fee or subscription associated with the “service.” If there is, decline or even hang up.
Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you can confirm that it is a legitimate representative of a computer support team with whom you are already a customer.
Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support.
And finally, if you suspect you have been tricked by one of these scams, you should report it by contacting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at: www.antifraudcentre.ca.
To put it in perspective, it’s estimated that between $10 and $30 billion dollars are lost each year to frauds in Canada. Shockingly, only 5% of people who’ve been victimized ever report it – most don’t think it will help. So, I guess the key to this type of scam is to report it as soon as it happens.
